Numero sign
Encyclopedia
The numero sign or numero symbol (variously represented as №, Nº, No, or No.) is a typographic
abbreviation of the word number indicating ordinal numeration, especially in names and titles. For example, with the numero sign, the written long-form of the address "Number 22 Acacia Avenue" is shortened to "Nº 22 Acacia Avenue", yet both forms are spoken long.
Typographically, the numero sign combines the upper-case Latin letter N with a usually superscript lower-case letter o, sometimes underlined, resembling the masculine ordinal indicator
. In Unicode
, the character is .
The Oxford English Dictionary
derives the numero sign from Latin
, the ablative
form of ("number", with the ablative denotations of: "to the number, by the number, with the number"). In Romance languages, the numero sign is understood as an abbreviation of the word for "number", e.g. Italian numero, French numéro, and Spanish & Portuguese número.
, № denotes numéro (number), and is variously written, with and without superscript letters, underlining, or a period; e.g. №, no., and No. Note that no is not a frequent word in French, unlike in English, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.
Although the letter "N
" is not in the Cyrillic alphabet
, the numero sign is typeset in Russian
publishing, and is in Russian computer and typewriter keyboards.
In Spanish
, the numero sign is not a typographic symbol character, but the word número (number) abbreviated per the Spanish typographic convention of superior letter
s — letras voladas (flying letters) and voladitas (little flying letters) — wherein the final letter(s) of the abbreviated word are written as underlined lower-case superscripts: no and No (singular), nos and Nos (plural). Other flying letter examples are: Fco for Francisco; Ma for María; fdo for firmado (signed). The substitutive form No. is an unacceptable, ambiguous usage that might be confused for the negative particle no (acceptable alternatives in case no other typographic option is possible: Nro., nro. or núm. The dot is part of the abbreviation.). The numero sign also indicates an ordinal number, 1o primero (first), 2o segundo (second), 3o tercero (third), and so on.
Portuguese
follows typographic rules similar to those of Spanish. N.o and n.os for "número" or "números". As in Spanish, "No." is an unacceptable, ambiguous usage that might be confused for "no" (a contraction of "em" and the masculine singular definite article
). The superscript-underlined o (o) also is used in contrast to a to indicate the gender of a title: Prof.a = woman professor, woman teacher, whilst Prof. (without a flying "o") denotes a man.
Italian
typographic conventions for abbreviations are like those of Spanish, but superscripts are rarely used, except in the numero sign. The sign is usually replaced with the abbreviations "n." or "nº", the latter comprising the ordinal symbol.
In English
the abbreviation "No." of "numero" is often used in place of the word "number". In US English the number sign
, "#
", is frequently used instead.
The numero sign is not a standard alphabetic symbol in all European languages; for example in German
, the abbreviation for Nummer is "Nr." (with full stop
), whereas in Finnish
the abbreviation for numero is "nro" or somewhat archaic "n:o" (to distinguish it from a plain no, which is an exclamation roughly corresponding to the English well in "Oh, well" or "Well, let's see").
"No." (letter "N", letter "o", and a period (full stop)).
On typewriters and computers that support the degree sign or (preferably) masculine ordinal indicator, a digraph
starting with "N", such as "N°
" or "Nº", may suffice as a substitute for the numero sign, but only if it is to be presented exclusively within visual media, in a typeface and sizing that results in a passable approximation of the numero sign. Such digraphs are inappropriate for representing the numero sign in computer data, in general.
On Russian
computer keyboard
s, № is often located on the "3" key.
In Mac OS X
, the character can be typed using "U.S. Extended" and "Irish Extended" keyboard layouts by typing .
In HTML
, the numero sign (if it cannot be entered directly) may be represented by
Standard states:
Typography
Typography is the art and technique of arranging type in order to make language visible. The arrangement of type involves the selection of typefaces, point size, line length, leading , adjusting the spaces between groups of letters and adjusting the space between pairs of letters...
abbreviation of the word number indicating ordinal numeration, especially in names and titles. For example, with the numero sign, the written long-form of the address "Number 22 Acacia Avenue" is shortened to "Nº 22 Acacia Avenue", yet both forms are spoken long.
Typographically, the numero sign combines the upper-case Latin letter N with a usually superscript lower-case letter o, sometimes underlined, resembling the masculine ordinal indicator
Ordinal indicator
In written languages, an ordinal indicator is a sign adjacent to a numeral denoting that it is an ordinal number, rather than a cardinal number. The exact sign used varies in different languages.- English :...
. In Unicode
Unicode
Unicode is a computing industry standard for the consistent encoding, representation and handling of text expressed in most of the world's writing systems...
, the character is .
The Oxford English Dictionary
Oxford English Dictionary
The Oxford English Dictionary , published by the Oxford University Press, is the self-styled premier dictionary of the English language. Two fully bound print editions of the OED have been published under its current name, in 1928 and 1989. The first edition was published in twelve volumes , and...
derives the numero sign from Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
, the ablative
Ablative case
In linguistics, ablative case is a name given to cases in various languages whose common characteristic is that they mark motion away from something, though the details in each language may differ...
form of ("number", with the ablative denotations of: "to the number, by the number, with the number"). In Romance languages, the numero sign is understood as an abbreviation of the word for "number", e.g. Italian numero, French numéro, and Spanish & Portuguese número.
Usages
In FrenchFrench language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, № denotes numéro (number), and is variously written, with and without superscript letters, underlining, or a period; e.g. №, no., and No. Note that no is not a frequent word in French, unlike in English, Italian, Spanish and Portuguese.
Although the letter "N
N
N is the fourteenth letter in the basic modern Latin alphabet.- History of the forms :One of the most common hieroglyphs, snake, was used in Egyptian writing to stand for a sound like English ⟨J⟩, because the Egyptian word for "snake" was djet...
" is not in the Cyrillic alphabet
Russian alphabet
The Russian alphabet is a form of the Cyrillic script, developed in the First Bulgarian Empire during the 10th century AD at the Preslav Literary School...
, the numero sign is typeset in Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
publishing, and is in Russian computer and typewriter keyboards.
In Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, the numero sign is not a typographic symbol character, but the word número (number) abbreviated per the Spanish typographic convention of superior letter
Superior letter
In typography and handwriting, a superior letter is a lower-case letter placed above the baseline and made smaller than ordinary script. The style is distinct from superscript. Formerly quite common in abbreviations, the original purpose was to make handwritten abbreviations clearly distinct from...
s — letras voladas (flying letters) and voladitas (little flying letters) — wherein the final letter(s) of the abbreviated word are written as underlined lower-case superscripts: no and No (singular), nos and Nos (plural). Other flying letter examples are: Fco for Francisco; Ma for María; fdo for firmado (signed). The substitutive form No. is an unacceptable, ambiguous usage that might be confused for the negative particle no (acceptable alternatives in case no other typographic option is possible: Nro., nro. or núm. The dot is part of the abbreviation.). The numero sign also indicates an ordinal number, 1o primero (first), 2o segundo (second), 3o tercero (third), and so on.
Portuguese
Portuguese language
Portuguese is a Romance language that arose in the medieval Kingdom of Galicia, nowadays Galicia and Northern Portugal. The southern part of the Kingdom of Galicia became independent as the County of Portugal in 1095...
follows typographic rules similar to those of Spanish. N.o and n.os for "número" or "números". As in Spanish, "No." is an unacceptable, ambiguous usage that might be confused for "no" (a contraction of "em" and the masculine singular definite article
Definite Article
Definite Article is the title of British comedian Eddie Izzard's 1996 performance released on VHS. It was recorded on different nights at the Shaftesbury Theatre...
). The superscript-underlined o (o) also is used in contrast to a to indicate the gender of a title: Prof.a = woman professor, woman teacher, whilst Prof. (without a flying "o") denotes a man.
Italian
Italian language
Italian is a Romance language spoken mainly in Europe: Italy, Switzerland, San Marino, Vatican City, by minorities in Malta, Monaco, Croatia, Slovenia, France, Libya, Eritrea, and Somalia, and by immigrant communities in the Americas and Australia...
typographic conventions for abbreviations are like those of Spanish, but superscripts are rarely used, except in the numero sign. The sign is usually replaced with the abbreviations "n." or "nº", the latter comprising the ordinal symbol.
In English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
the abbreviation "No." of "numero" is often used in place of the word "number". In US English the number sign
Number sign
Number sign is a name for the symbol #, which is used for a variety of purposes including, in some countries, the designation of a number...
, "#
Number sign
Number sign is a name for the symbol #, which is used for a variety of purposes including, in some countries, the designation of a number...
", is frequently used instead.
The numero sign is not a standard alphabetic symbol in all European languages; for example in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, the abbreviation for Nummer is "Nr." (with full stop
Full stop
A full stop is the punctuation mark commonly placed at the end of sentences. In American English, the term used for this punctuation is period. In the 21st century, it is often also called a dot by young people...
), whereas in Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
the abbreviation for numero is "nro" or somewhat archaic "n:o" (to distinguish it from a plain no, which is an exclamation roughly corresponding to the English well in "Oh, well" or "Well, let's see").
Typing the symbol
On typewriters and computers that do not support this symbol, it is acceptable and commonplace to substitute it with the trigraphTrigraph (orthography)
A trigraph is a group of three letters used to represent a single sound or a combination of sounds that does not correspond to the written letters combined. For example, in the word schilling, the trigraph sch represents the voiceless postalveolar fricative , rather than the consonant cluster...
"No." (letter "N", letter "o", and a period (full stop)).
On typewriters and computers that support the degree sign or (preferably) masculine ordinal indicator, a digraph
Digraph (orthography)
A digraph or digram is a pair of characters used to write one phoneme or a sequence of phonemes that does not correspond to the normal values of the two characters combined...
starting with "N", such as "N°
°
˚ "modifier letter ring above" is a character of the Spacing Modifier Letters range .It is used in the transliteration of Abkhaz to represent the letter ....
" or "Nº", may suffice as a substitute for the numero sign, but only if it is to be presented exclusively within visual media, in a typeface and sizing that results in a passable approximation of the numero sign. Such digraphs are inappropriate for representing the numero sign in computer data, in general.
On Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
computer keyboard
Computer keyboard
In computing, a keyboard is a typewriter-style keyboard, which uses an arrangement of buttons or keys, to act as mechanical levers or electronic switches...
s, № is often located on the "3" key.
In Mac OS X
Mac OS X
Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
, the character can be typed using "U.S. Extended" and "Irish Extended" keyboard layouts by typing .
In HTML
HTML
HyperText Markup Language is the predominant markup language for web pages. HTML elements are the basic building-blocks of webpages....
, the numero sign (if it cannot be entered directly) may be represented by
№ or №.Technical considerations
The UnicodeUnicode
Unicode is a computing industry standard for the consistent encoding, representation and handling of text expressed in most of the world's writing systems...
Standard states:
- U+2116 NUMERO SIGN is provided both for Cyrillic use, where it looks like
[semi-cursive "N" followed by raised, underlined small "o"] , and for compatibility with Asian standards, where it looks like[angular "N" followed by raised, underlined small "o", followed by a period] . …Instead of using a special symbol, French practice is to use an "N" or an "n", according to context, followed by a superscript small letter "o" (No or no; plural Nos or nos). Legacy data encoded in ISO/IEC 8859-1ISO/IEC 8859-1ISO/IEC 8859-1:1998, Information technology — 8-bit single-byte coded graphic character sets — Part 1: Latin alphabet No. 1, is part of the ISO/IEC 8859 series of ASCII-based standard character encodings, first edition published in 1987. It is informally referred to as Latin-1. It is generally...
(Latin-1) or other 8-bit character setsCharacter encodingA character encoding system consists of a code that pairs each character from a given repertoire with something else, such as a sequence of natural numbers, octets or electrical pulses, in order to facilitate the transmission of data through telecommunication networks or storage of text in...
may also have represented the numero sign by a sequence of "N" followed by the degree signDegree symbolThe degree symbol is a typographical symbol that is used, among other things, to represent degrees of arc or degrees of temperature...
(U+00B0 degree sign). Implementations working with legacy data should be aware of such alternative representations for the numero sign when converting data.